The totally off-topic thread

[whatmeworry]

Economy not always the worst use. SYD-HKG on QF 747 and HKG-BKK on EK A380 for 35,000 QFF points + $160 is excellent value if you factor in SYD F Lounge and HKG EK/QF lounges.


Again to each their own.

Holiday Inn Pattaya is ~$100-$150/night. Fantastic hotel but there's no way I could afford to stay there each trip. We stay in a Superior twin room in a hotel that is a little dated but close to everything we need during the trip. Beach, street food, loud music and golf bar. Currently costs ~$33/night for September trip including buffet breakfast for 2.

The JQ $25 hotel vouchers are fantastic as that brings the cost down to $8/night. Can't get any better than that....

How many tens of thousands of dollars have you spent and how much time on crazy routings to maintain status?

 

[Flashback]

How many tens of thousands of dollars have you spent and how much time on crazy routings to maintain status?

It's all about context - as a road warrior travelling regularly for work, etc. I can say the incremental spend to get the higher status level is worth it. When you're travelling every week or every other it makes all the difference. For example on my regular commute I often end up with the only spare seat next to me. You can't put a price on that.

 

[Denali]

I dont think there is any wrong or right answer, its all about what you are prepared to pay for - either points or money.

A couple of years ago, I refused to use my WP upgrades for SYD>MEL because I thought that route wasnt worthy of a J upgrade. Now I dont blink at using points or comps for such a short flight.

 

[Katie]

For the city, I'll be booking Hilton or Waldorf, IHG ect but for Isle of Skye, there isn't a Novatel to be seen.

We stayed at the DoubleTree in late Dec 2014 - had views of the castle from our room. Quite nice, only down side for us was the lack of an interconnecting room - Miss 8 was in the room next to us, but there are only three interconnecting room pairs in the hotel.
We stayed at the Caley (Waldorf Astoria on NYE - no castle views from our room, but watched the NYE fireworks from an inside stair case in our PJs and bathrobes while surrounded by guests at one of the three or four balls/dinners on at the hotel. We had to check out at OMG o'clock (4am or so) for an early flight to LHR. I did enjoy the upgrade to some kind of wonderful suite, without the views, though.

 

[JohnK]

Whereas I'm barely satisfied with three X 3 week international trips in longhaul J, mostly on points this year.

You're obviously able to generate points easily. Good for you.

 

[amaroo]

Just made the final hotel booking for our EOY trip .... geez, NYC prices can be brutal!

 

[Pushka]

This is AFF where 'anything travel' is acceptable.

 

[QF WP]

We were watching you leave from Fighterworld. Then I was at NTL when BundyBear and storyteller were waiting for the next JQ flight to BNE. I still don't understand it either.

I can see why people don't fly Jetstar.

 

[Denali]

Although Im of the belief that "Friends dont let friends fly Jetstar", I did share the Ozbargin $299 return sale link the other day and quite a few people I know looked into it.

If I was a younger skinny mini who didnt care how I was getting there, I would consider it but Im not so I didnt.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Is anyone else having trouble with hotmail.com for emails today.

Some spam emails seem to come through on the phone but I can't access via the web.

Speaking of travel I have a US trip starting this Saturday, flights and accommodation are both booked but I have to finalize the activities.

Also ordered a sim card I hope it arrives by Friday, can't live without my daily dose of Facebook and AFF and maps are handy as well.

 

[QF WP]

Good to see you made it to BNE last night then Bundy Bear - I was a bit worried as we left Gate 4 and your Jetstar chariot pulled into Gate 1A.

We were watching you leave from Fighterworld. Then I was at NTL when BundyBear and storyteller were waiting for the next JQ flight to BNE. I still don't understand it either.

 

[Denali]

....
Also ordered a sim card I hope it arrives by Friday, can't live without my daily dose of Facebook and AFF and maps are handy as well.

We picked up our USA sim at Sim Corner at Sydney airport on departure.

Hope your sim comes in time!

 

[JohnK]

How many tens of thousands of dollars have you spent and how much time on crazy routings to maintain status?

Status is important. I travel regularly and status comes in very handy. Also my wife loves visiting lounges especially the SYD First lounge. We'll be there again next week but only for breakfast.

How much have money I spent? No idea but I try to incorporate the additional flights into existing travel. The crazy routings will more than likely stop as I'm no longer travelling alone but no harm in squeezing in one or 2 extra flights here and there.

Now the most important part of all is that I love travel. Most people don't understand. One thing I don't like though is long flights. It makes sense to split up a long(er) route with multiple shorter flights as long as the cost isn't ridiculous.

 

[drron]

On the other hand outsourcing QLD Health IT to India might even improve reliability.

Just reading a newsletter and found out just how reliable Health authorities the world over are with their IT needs-

‘The crazy thing about WannaCry is that it targets a vulnerability in the Microsoft XP operating system – which is effectively obsolete. It was first released in 2001. Microsoft no longer supports it with regular software updates and bug fixes.
‘What’s even crazier is that anyone still using this obsolete system had the opportunity in March to download a free, once-off “patch” from Microsoft that fixed the WannaCry vulnerability.
‘In other words, every single business affected by WannaCry was not only using an obsolete operating system, but they also didn’t bother to download and install the free patch. It’s really crazy. There was no budget required. They could have downloaded the software patch, upgraded their systems, and secured their platforms. This lack of effort was what left so many people vulnerable to this attack.

jeff Brown.
US Inner Circle

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Just secured 2 x J seats to Edinburgh for next year... now to tell hubby that I just used 556K of his points.

But enough about you, Denali. What does this mean for JohnK?

Edit: Sorry, should have waited 67 minutes.

 

[JohnK]

We were watching you leave from Fighterworld. Then I was at NTL when BundyBear and storyteller were waiting for the next JQ flight to BNE. I still don't understand it either.

One of the mysteries of life.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There's the rub. Value is very individual. The use of points whether for toasters on one extreme or F at the other is valid to the person spending it in the way they want.
Using points for an F trip is not any more valuable than JohnK's uses. I can see much merit in what he says.

unless you always fly First or business... then points for those cabins are far more valuable than redeeming for economy.

 

[serfty]

Just secured 2 x J seats to Edinburgh for next year... now to tell hubby that I just used 556K of his points.

...

Well done!

If that is a return, then you do realise you can have a 16 segment booking of up to 15000 miles (e.g. around the world type trip) in Business for just 4K more for two PAX (560K=2x280) with a "oneworld Classic Award".

 

[TomVexille]

Well done!

If that is a return, then you do realise you can have a 16 segment around the work type trip in Business for just 4K more for two PAX (560K=2x280) with a "oneworld Classic Award".

I'm thinking that they were VFF points and not QFF

 

[serfty]

I'm thinking that they were VFF points and not QFF

Well that would be rather different then!